


Empty Glass Case

by TheAzureFox



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Ai is creepy, Gen, Speculative Piece, episode 28 influenced me a little too much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 18:24:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12846924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAzureFox/pseuds/TheAzureFox
Summary: With Ai’s newfound freedom as a drone, he decides to roam Den City in search of a certain someone.At midnight, Ema Bessho receives a special visitor.(speculative fic)





	Empty Glass Case

**Author's Note:**

> Me @ me: Why do you keep double-posting things?
> 
> Also me: I hit the back button and I just gotta hit submit again bc I'm paranoid :))))))))
> 
> Me @ me again: .....

Yusaku is sound asleep by the time Ai shifts forms.

Of course, being stuck in a glass cage all day has made him rather antsy. His captor had been insistent on keeping him caged after the antics he had pulled just the previous day. Being a drone had such _useful_ capabilities. He had freedom, something that that _pitiful human boy_ wouldn’t allow him. Of course, said human boy was also very smart. If Ai slipped out while he was awake, the boy would take notice and only secure him tighter. The duel disk that Ai was entrapped in was a vital part of Yusaku’s survival – he wouldn’t let it loose so easily.

“Tch, what a troublesome kid.”

And, when Yusaku finally falls asleep, Ai’s not stupid. He knows to wait an hour before calling to Roboppy. The cleaning robot is quick to come to his aid, unlocking his glass cage and setting him free without any unneeded questions. He thanks her and settles off, the duel disk switching forms to extend out long orange wings. He hovers in the air, testing for any damage or repairs he needs to make and, upon seeing there are none to do, he bids Roboppy guardianship of the household and departs through a carelessly-open window.

The streetlights of Den City welcomes him as he drifts out and flies to the top of Den City. He pops out of the duel disk, placing a hand on his forehead and gives a whistle. “ _Wowza_. Den City looks pretty spectacular in the middle of the night.”

He dips down and then ascends, glowing orange eyes surveying the view around him. The night sky sparkles with stars and Ai beholds its beauty before continuing on his flight. Inside the duel disk, the internal coordinates of his destination pulse and lead him on.

As it is, he’s taken an interest in a specific person. There are very specific objectives Ai wants to achieve and, up until now, he has not had the opportunity to do so. Yusaku holding him hostage had been a big inconvenience. It was only until he’d gotten Roboppy to finish the “upgrades” to Yusaku’s duel disk that he’d managed to slip away. Of course, his freedom came at a price. He’d tried to earn Yusaku’s respect by tracking down Naoki’s location in the midst of the warehouse district. He thought that if he could do much while free, he would certainly be allowed to continue roaming, if only to help “serve the cause”. However, even leading stupid Shoichi to Naoki had done little to release his sentence – in the eyes of Yusaku, he was still nothing but a hostage.

Now, however, he had little time to think over such annoyances. Yusaku was clever and brave but he was also reckless and selfish. There was little anyone could do to save that poor boy from his agony. Ai pitied him, truly, he did. The boy was a puppet, one who could see only what was dangled in front of him and not the bigger picture. Inevitably, he would die and, while Ai admitted he might feel a twinge of sadness at such prospects, there was little more he could do for Yusaku.

“It’s not my loss,” Ai says, more to himself than anything. “Playmaker-sama has served me well. But, as it is, I can’t afford to stay with him much longer.”

He veers to the left and dips down, his internal GPS leading him to the front of a giant glass screen door. A balcony awaits his presence and he roosts on the top of a silver railing, peering inside with minimal interest.

“Ah…not home? Or maybe,” Ai squints and sees the faintest hint of luminance dotted inside the apartment room, “yep. Alright, time to make a grand entrance then!”

He raises up his arms, pulls himself off the railing and does what he does best-

Crashing into glass windows.

~~~

Ema Bessho is attending to her current client’s request and biting at her fingernail in frustration when she hears the _thump_ of something hitting her window. Instantly, all her sense are on alert, spinning around in her chair to gaze upon the giant glass pane that leads to her outdoor balcony.

“Is that…a bird?” She squints at the darkness of the outside world and frowns as she sees a black shape hovering in place. “My, what kind of creature would be crashing into my window at this time of night?”

A curious person by nature, she tiptoes towards the door and peers outside. The shape hovers up and down, yet unreadable by her eyes, and she knocks on the glass. Contrary to her expectations, however, it fails to fly away. _Perhaps then,_ she thinks, _it isn’t a bird?_

With a tilt of her head, she makes up her mind to shoo the poor thing – whatever it is - away.

“Alright, alright,” she opens the window, “as much as I appreciate nightly animal visitors I must ask you to-” something shoots right past her and barrels into the wall right behind. Ema twists around to stare into the darkness of her room, squinting as a shape rises from the depths of her computer desk. “Eh?”

The shape speaks. “Hai, hai, hello to you. It’s a nice day today isn’t it, Ghost Girl? Or, well, rather, _night_ but you get the point.”

She bristles at the use of her VRAINS name and takes a step back. “Who are you? How do you know my alternate name? Are you one of SOL’s robots?”

“My, do you not remember my voice, fair lady?”

The shape drifts forward and Ema looks at it in almost stunned surprise. A duel disk old and outdated and yet in the shape of a drone sits before her, hovering at face level. A black and purple form sits atop of it, orange eyes prodding her for a response.

“Aren’t you…Playmaker’s A.I.?”

“Bing, bing, bing!” it nods in humble approval. “I am the one and only!”

There’s a moment of contemplation and then she steps forward, her fingers reaching for the wing of the drone. Ai startles, skirting around her touch to float up higher.

“Now, now, now, that is very rude of you, Ghost Girl,” the robot admonishes her with a scolding shake of its finger, “you must never treat a guest like that!”

“Tch,” she steps back, magenta gaze watching it as it sits out of reach. “What do you want from me, toy?”

“ _Toy?_ ” it crosses its arms in distaste. “How impolite. And here I came willing to help you…”

Ema stares at it. “Help me how? The only way you could possibly help me is if you let me sell you and, unless you come into my hands,” she reaches for it and the Ai refuses to budge, “then you are useless to me.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t be so rash to say such a thing, Ema Bessho.”

Her gaze burns into the creature, a flare of hostility uncoiling from the woman as her real name is spoken. “And why not?”

It seems to do a mouthless imitation of a grin, one so unnerving and disturbing that it sends shudders down the woman’s spine. “Because, I can help you get back home.”

Without saying a word, Ema launches forward, using her feet to spring upwards and grab at the drone. Ai dips down and she goes stumbling face-first into a wall. Not at all deterred by what might later become a bruised forehead, she spins around and catapults herself away from the wall, fingers reaching for the machine that is sinking closer to the ground. However, Ai is quicker and maneuvers up and away, circling her as she chases after it with a snarl on her face.

“I don’t have time for these silly antics, Ema Bessho,” it tilts its head as she jumps up yet again only to catch empty air in her fingers. “Do you want my assistance or not?”

Ema heaves with exhaustion, glaring at the creature with face contorted in anger. “How do you know about that?”

“About what?”

She can see the way it plays innocent and she grits her teeth. “How do you know that I want back home?”

Its answer is simple and to the point: “Your ears.”

The woman is quick to brush her pink hair over her elf-like features, simmering down as the creature deems it safe to approach.

“I’m not stupid,” it says, “I know there’s something off about you. After all, I _have_ been watching you. You have no family in any records online. You have no personable contacts aside from Akira and Aoi Zaizen – which, by the way, is hilarious considering how ignorant those two are - and your regular clients. This apartment was rented four years ago and, yet, you are twenty-six years old. Where have you spent the rest of your twenty-two years at? Because, according to the Internet, you haven’t spent them anywhere else.”

“You like sounding like a smart asshole, don’t you?”

“It’s my humble pleasure,” the thing jibes. “But, come on, tell me I’m wrong. I urge you to even _suggest_ that I, a super intelligent and nearly one-of-a-kind A.I. am not wrong.”

She scoffs, grabbing a chair and sitting down upon it as Ai hovers around her. “You’re not wrong,” Ema mutters, crossing her legs. “So, what will it be?”

“Wow, negotiations already?”

“You won’t let me catch you. You know one of my secrets. I’m suspecting if I don’t at least hear you out, you’ll quickly become the noose around my neck.”

“Clever girl,” Ai chimes. “Very clever. That’s what I like about you, always straight to the point and sharp as a thumbtack. Well, good enough that I have your attention. I would like a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

“My help for yours. I can get you home but you have to do a little something for me first.”

“No deal,” she crosses her arms.

“And why not?”

“Because there’s no way _you_ can get _me_ home. I’ve tried all the options available and the only way to get back is through money.”

Ai tilts its head. “There are other options, you know.”

“Like what?”

Its orange eyes bore into her and Ema has to suppress a shudder. “The VRAINS. There are many pathways back to _that_ world and I know how to get to them.”

Her magenta eyes scrutinize it with dubious concern. “You could be lying to me.”

“I’m not. A.I’s don’t lie. We can’t, not in the way you humans can. We can misguide people from the truth, but we don’t lie. It’s a little like you, honestly. You never say more than what’s needed but you don’t beat around the bush either. You are honest to your word and yet it takes a riddler to decipher your codes. We are not different from one another – perhaps its time we do ourselves both a favor.”

She contemplates its persuasion with a frown. “And? So? What do you want from me?”

“Are you willing to consider my proposal now?”

“Yes, I am.”

Its face lights up like a child’s. “Good, good! You had me worried.” It hovers closer to her, orange eyes locked with hers. “Well, you see, my request is simple. I can help you get back home if you tear out and restore the Cyberse from my eye.”

The woman frowns. “Cyberse?”

“It’s very simple. I have a virtual world living inside of me. There are other A.I.’s trapped inside it that I want to meet. Release this world into the VRAINS and I will pay you back accordingly.”

“There are more of you?”

It seems to grin as it holds out a hand. “But of course! I am not the only Ignis in existence. There are five others, each of which I am sure would be eager to help your cause if I, somehow, cannot.”

“And how do you expect me to save this…Cyberse?”

“Your hacking skills. They are the reason I have come to you. Only you and one other can release this world inside me. The other, however, is determined to kill me,” it waves a dismissive hand and then stares at her. “Well, what do you say? Have we reached a bargaining agreement?”

There’s something almost unsettling about the way it captivates her gaze and worms past her defenses. “What about Playmaker?”

Ai makes an expression close to scowling. “I will be put into jeopardy if I remain his hostage any longer. However, as I am in his debt and so are you, I figure we can repay him by returning back his duel disk once I am released. All it takes is a bit of rewiring of his duel disk and I can be free to go from this cage to yours.”

“Mine?” She holds up her duel disk and furrows her eyebrows. "This?"

It nods. “That indeed. But, only on the agreement that we can benefit each other? You are true to your word so I will trust you if you agree. However, I want to make the terms and conditions clear. If I help you get back home and you help me get back the Cyberse into existence, I do not want to be sold to SOL Technologies or Hanoi to add to your pocket. Plus, if you did that, you would only prolong your stay in this world without me to help you. Now, is that fair enough, Ghost Girl?”

She looks over it and it offers her a hand. Ema curls her lips, reaching out her hand to shake its own. “I accept under those terms. I will help you get back the Cyberse if you can lead me back home. I will also not sell you to SOL or Hanoi and will return Playmaker’s duel disk to him in some way, shape, or fashion.”

“Unharmed,” Ai adds.

“I will return Playmaker’s duel disk unharmed,” she agrees. “Anything else?”

“Nope, that’s it!”

Magenta eyes flare and she beckons the drone over to a tabletop covered with computers.

“Well then, shall we get started?”

She almost feels a giant shadow looming over her as it responds: “Yes, let’s.”

~~~

From the darkness of his room, Yusaku wakes up sweating and panting. He clutches fistfuls of his blankets in his hand and draws them up before him.

“Master, is anything wrong?”

Roboppy looks up at him with blinking blue eyes, tilting its head in gentle inquiry.

“Just…Just a nightmare,” he says.

“A bad, scary nightmare?” she asks. “Shall I call Master Kusanagi for you?”

He shakes his head. “No, I’m fine. I'm fine. I'm fine.”

“Very well, if you say so.”

She wanders off to sit underneath the bookshelf that houses Ai’s case. Yusaku wipes his hands on the sides of his pajamas, taking in deep breaths to calm himself down. He closes his eyes and mumbles to himself, shivering.

“Someone is walking over my grave.”

The words ring hollow in the open air.

However, he opens his eyes and stops cold at what he sees.

An empty glass container devoid of any duel disk stares into his soul.

**Author's Note:**

> Two theories I have - one genuine, one more of a "what-if" - is that Ema Bessho hails from the future/another world and that Ai will go to Ghost Girl to use her superiorly advanced skills to pry apart the Cyberse from his eye. 
> 
> The reasoning for the former is just an accumulation of odd, random things about Ema that make slightly more sense when I see her in that light while the latter deals with the fact that Shoichi who is, supposedly, an extraordinary hacker, acknowledges Ema's (Ghost Girl's) skills as "first class" (and I think he even admitted she was "special" which could serve as further foreshadowing that she's from another time/world especially since I believe Shoichi is in the same predicament as her and thus is able to recognize the fact that she's "special").
> 
> The reasoning for the latter is because, as Ghost Girl is highly more advanced and probably has the capacity to do so (since Ai isn't turning to Shoichi for help which means either Shoichi is not a good enough hacker to restore the Cyberse or that Ai can't trust to be able to manipulate Shoichi into helping him) Ai is going to turn at her with or without Yusaku to get her help.


End file.
